00:00This is Greenland, the land of glaciers, midnight suns and a history of being wanted,
00:15claimed and colonized. First came the Norsemen in the 10th century, led by Erik the Red. Then,
00:23the Dutch and Danes turned it into a colony. During World War II, the Nazis saw its strategic
00:30value. After the war, Denmark took back full control. Today, Greenland remains part of
00:36the Kingdom of Denmark, but it has governed itself since 1979. Its people mostly Inuit.
00:45They have their own government, their own language and a growing demand for independence.
00:52Believe it or not, Donald Trump isn't the first US president to think about buying Greenland.
00:58The US has twice tried to buy it before. In 1867, the US explored the idea of purchasing
01:06Greenland. Then, in 1946, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million for it.
01:15Why? Because Greenland is strategic. It sits between the US and Russia, is rich in rare
01:21minerals and as Arctic ice melts, it's becoming a new frontier for global power struggles.
01:28So, when Trump revived the idea back in 2019, Denmark called it absurd. And just like that,
01:35a diplomatic feud was born. Fast forward to February this year,
01:41and Greenlanders decided to have some fun. In response to Trump's land-grabbing ambitions,
01:48a petition appeared online with a bold counter-offer. What if Denmark bought
01:53California instead? The petition, which has over 200,000 signatures, argues that Denmark needs
02:01more sunshine, palm trees and roller skates. And because Danish winters can mean just one
02:08hour of sunlight a day, it makes sense, right? Even Metallica's Lars Ulrich apparently got
02:14involved. Denmark's government hasn't responded. Neither has California's governor, Gavin Newsom.
02:21But the petition's disclaimer makes it clear, this campaign is 100% real, in our dreams.
02:28But just when the joke started to die down, Trump brought Greenland back into the conversation.
02:34Few days ago, in his speech before Congress, he looked directly into the camera and said this.
02:45Greenland, we strongly support your right to determine your own future.
02:52And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We need
02:56Greenland for national security and even international security. And we're
03:01working with everybody involved to try and get it. But we need it really for international
03:06world security. And I think we're going to get it. One way or the other, we're going to get it.
03:14We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together, we will take Greenland to heights
03:21like you have never thought possible before. Wait, what? Choose to become part of the US?
03:27That's not how sovereignty works. That almost sounded like a threat.
03:32Greenland's officials weren't laughing. They called Trump's remarks disrespectful and an
03:38unacceptable way of humanity. The internet, of course, had a field day.
03:44Denmark didn't just reject Trump's offer. They doubled down. Its parliament passed a bill to
03:50prevent foreign or anonymous funding in Greenland's politics, making sure no outside power could
03:57influence its future. So to recap, Trump still wants Greenland. Greenland isn't interested.
04:03Denmark is trolling back. And the only thing that's certain, this absurdity isn't over.
Comments